
Qass_J_^i^____ 



^ 






dow Jlrlington Won the 
Thg on the town douse 



3:>(XK^.ji^ U-y^^^TK^ H'H. 




THE STEOMAN PRESS. 



Vl'W.l 



< J 



• M-B 




T the urgent request of many of my friends for copies 
of the address of Mr. Edwin F. Deering, in support of 
my effort to secure a vote of the town to erect a flag 
and pole on the town hall and keep the emhlem of liberty 
floating at appropriate occasions I have published the whole 
history of my efforts, taking justifiable pride in my own work 
as well as acknowledging the kind services of all those patri- 
otic individuals who stood by me and generously supported 
the measure. 

This work is the outward expression of my love for my 
adopted country, being as many already know, English by birth, 
but loyal American to the core and faithful in my allegiance to 
America, Massachusetts and Arlington. 
Yours for American Liberty, 

Edward H. H. Bartleit. 



The Voice of the Press. 

Mr. Edward II. H. Bartlett has the right to take a commendable 
pride in the stars and stripes as they float from the Town hall, for Mr. 
Bartlett is he who put " Old Clory " there. Mr. Bartlett, though 
born across the water, is just such an American as President Roosevelt—^ 
likes. He is every inch a Democrat. He believes in the people. 
His first vote was cast for the late Benjamin F. Butler for governor of 
Massachusetts. Mr. Bartlett has been a resident of Arlington for 
eighteen years, and he has served the town well in distributing town 
reports and notices for public entertainments and so on, to the end of 
the list. — Arliiigton Expositor. 

2 



How Arlington Got the Flag. 



Fully realizing that the Arlington Town Mouse, as well as 
any other public building, should have a flag, and that during 
elections, town meetings and hours the various officers are in 
session and holidays, it should be displayed, I waited eighteen 
years for some native born to take the initiative, failing in 
which, I circulated the following petition and obtained the sig- 
natures, thus starting legislation upon the matter. 

The Petition. 

Arlington, Mass., Jan. i6, 1905. 
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen, 

Town of Arlington, 
Gentlemen : 

We, the undersigned citizens of the Town of 
Arlington, respectfully petition your Honorable Board to insert 
the following article in the warrant for the annual March 
meeting to be held March 6, 1905. 

"Article . To see if the Town will pass the following 
vote or act in any manner thereto. 

Voted : — That the sum of one hundred (100) dol- 
lars be appropriated for the purchase and erection of 
a flag staff, flag and fixtures for the town hall build- 
ing, the same to be expended under the direction of 
the board of Selectmen." 

Edward H. H. Bartlett. Geo. Y. Wellington. 

Wm. H. Webber. J. A. Marden. 



W. A. W. Webber. 
Wilson Palmer. 
Frank P. Dyer. 
Alfred H. Knowles. 
Chas. W. Grossmith. 
Chas. F. Parker. 
Edgar D. Parker. 
Chas. H. Stevens. 
H. A. Perham. 
Frank P. Winn. 
M. McLeod. 
S. A. Fowle, Jr. 
Chas. T. Hartwell. 
Geo. S. Bartlett. 
Geo. H. Lowe. 
H. D. Hawkins. 
Wm. E. Freeman. 
A. Foster Brooks. 
Frank J. Rowe. 
Henry F. Derby. 
Geo. C. Tewksbury. 
H. T. Lawton. 
John F. Sweeney. 
N. J. Hardy. 
J. W. Bailey. 
A. D. Hoitt. 
F. A. Johnson. 
John H. Hardy. 
Chas. S. Richardson. 
R. I. Crosby. 
J. H. Crosby. 
N. E. W^hittier. 
Ivers L. Wetherbee. 
E. G. Wood. 
J. E. Duffy. 
Timothy O'Brien. 
Denis J. McCarthy. 
Chas. F. Scannell. 
Geo. F. Tibbetts. 



A. H. Seaver. 
O. W. Whittemore. 
John R. Hendricks. 
Philip A. Hendricks. 
A. VV. Trow. 
Mat hew Rowe. 
Benj. H. Pierce. 
John Lyons. 
Thomas Hughes. 
R. W. Blake. 
F. W. Bennett. 
J. O. Holt. 
John A. Bishop. 
Geo. W. McClellan. 
E. F. Deering. 
J. H. McLelland. 
W. W. Rawson. 
R. W. Hilliard. 
R. A. Welch. 
A. Cough lin. 
W. E. Marshall. 
Frank F. Russell. 
A. G. Taylor. 
L W. Holt. 
Chas. W. Kenison. 
John Ewart. 
S. T. Sawyer. 
W. H. H. Tuttle. 
H. L. Frost. 
Herbert L. Kidder. 
C. F. Perkins. 
C. R. Whytal. 
O. J. Derby. 
C. A. Parsons. 
E. D. Hooker. 
C. F. Oakman. 
Geo. O. Russell. 
L. D. Bradley. 
Russell W. Barr. 



F. S. Sutcliffe. Wm. Whitmore. 

Arthur J. Wellington. M. E. Callahan. 

.W. H. Hunton. Frederick J. Grossmith. 

Frank Y. Wellington. George B. C. Rugg. 

George E. Ahern. * John I. Peatfield. 

Wm. H. Murray. F. E. Fowle. 

E. S. Fcssenden. Freeman N. Young. 

Chester G. Peck. F. E. Thompson. 



This article was incorporated in the warrant for the 
annual town meeting, March 6, 1905. The ])r(iceedings at 
the town meeting were fully reported in the Ailiiigton Expositor, 
from which the following extracts are here rej)ublishcd. 

Installation of Flag on Town Hall. 

The matter of raising the American flag on the Town 
Hall building was introduced by Edward H. H. l^artlett, who 
appeared in its favor with a small flag in one hand and a list of 
the names of citizens favorable to the raising of the flag in the 
other. The amount asked for this purpose was $100, and the 
appropriation of this money was opposed by the committee of 
twenty-one. 

E. F. Deering, a natural humorist, who says some very 
good things, in a manner and style that are all his own, and 
which are sure to create a number of laughs during delivery, 
favored the raising of the flag. At the close of his remarks 
he received generous applause. In substance Mr. Deering said : 

" Mr. Moderator, fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen, — 
I stand here to-night in the capacity of a sincere citizen and 
tax-payer of Arlington. A low tax rate pleases me because I 
am human but God forbid that I should so far forget my man- 
hood and my patriotism as to vote against the raising of the 

5 



American flag on top of our Town Hall in order that we might 
have a lower tax rate. I am not that kind of an American citi- 
zen. They don't raise that kind of men among the old Green 
Mountains of Vermont, the state that produces such men as 
Ethan Allen, Capt. Clark and Admiral George Dewey, who, 
with one shot from his flagship Olympia, on iVTay i, 1898, 
changed the whole map of the United States and thereby 
caused the raising of the American flag over a down -trodden 
people, who, in time, under the protection of that flag, will be 
enjoying the same blessings of a free country that you and I 
are enjoying to-night. We are all American citizens. No man 
is to be blamed for his birthplace. As a rule he has to be 
born pretty near the locality where his mother happens to be at 
that time. My parents left the old country for America in a 
small sailing vessel and were over six weeks before they tied up 
to Long Wharf. They were a long time in getting here, but 
they got here just the same. I came over with them, but I 
don't remember anything about the trip. But when I did come 
into the world I thank God I was able to breathe the fresh air 
of a free country and was born under the protection of the 
American flag. That flag stands for good credit. Anything 
that has the backing of that flag is worth one hundred cents on 
the dollar in any spot or place on God's footstool where the 
flag can be found. That flag, with that grand young man, 
"Theodore Roosevelt, as commander-in-chief, means a 'square 
deal ' to every man wherever the stars and stripes are flying. 
Why isn't that a pretty good emblem to have floating from the 
roof of this Town Hall ? 

Now what do you suppose these would be ex-citizens of 
Arlington, whose busts adorn the walls of this hall of fame — 
men who have made good history, and men who by their lives 
and actions did so much for this country and her institutions — 
what would they say to the committee of twenty-one, who for 

6 



the insignificant sum of $ioo would not recommend the rais- 
ing of the American flag on the building whose roof to-night 
shelters the sweet memory of these honored men — what would 
they say to this committee of twenty-one, if they had the 
power of speech to-night ? I know what they'd say — ' Shame 
on you.' 

We have just passed through one of the most interesting 
elections this town has had for years, and the pure in hearts 
won out. This town stands to-night for all that is pure, clean 
and wholesome. We want pure air the coming year and if the 
Board of Health do their duty, we shall have it. We want 
pure water and we want a pure tax. That means an honest tax 
and if the Board of Assessors do their duty, we will have that. 
You have voted for a good, clean, safe town and if the board of 
.Selectmen do their duty we will have that and it won't be nec- 
essary to spend money for outside help to accomplish it. 

Now with all this purity in our midst what better emblem 
of purity could we have flying from this building than the 
American flag ? There isn't a doubt in my mind but if the 
Angel Gabriel should blow his trump any time during the next 
year 'Kingdom Come' would be located in Arlington, some- 
where between Lake Street and Arlington Heights. 

They are teaching in our public schools what the flag 
stands for and what the colors mean. '1 'he red says 'Be brave,' 
the blue says, 'Be true,' the white says, 'Be pure.' What 
better emblem could we have for good citizenship than this.' 

The flag pole is to run up on the front side of the building- 
up above the roof. It is customary on most flag poles to have 
a gilded ball on the top of the pole, but I would not recom- 
mend that, as the town has gone no license, and we don't want 
any high balls on this particular pole. It might not be safe 
with so many self-confessed moderate drinkers as we have in 
town. In its place I would recommend an emblem of the 

7 



■^.-■^•a^w-t^--^'^- 



American eagle. It's a bird we all admire for its strength, 
wisdom and farsightedness, and it would be a warning to 
the ofifice holders to keep an eagle eye out on town affairs. 
Washington's birthday we have just celebrated. The cherry 
tree still lives, but let us get together as good citizens and 
' bury !he hatchet,' and stand up for the old historic town. 

Arlington is noted as the town Paul Revere rode through 
but di'Jin't stoj) in, and there are lots of good people doing the 
same thing to-day. 

Now we want to hold out inducements to these people to 
sto]) here and make their home among us and be proud of 
Arlington and on the nineteenth day of April let us unfurl 
'Old Glory' to the breeze from off this building and celebrate 
Patriot's l^ay as man among men and not as peanut politicians." 



On motion of Edward H. H. J^artlett : 

Voted : — That the board of Selectmen be empowered to 
instruct the janitor to have the flag displayed from the Town 
Hall building from the hovn^ of eight a. m. until the hour of five 
p. M. on every day when the various Town Offices are open 
for business, and on all National and State holidays. On all 
Election Days the flag shall be raised at the opening of "the 
polls and be displayed until the hour of closing. 



On Patriots' Day, April 19, the flag was raised for the 
first time. 

One of the two contests was over the appropriation of 
$100 to provide a flag and staff for the Town Hall. The 
amount asked was granted though the finance committee had 
reported unfavorably. — Boston Herald. 



The flag from the staff on Town Hall, procured through 
the energy of Mr. Edward H. H. Bartlett, will be flown each 
day during office hours of its several town departments, besides 
on regular holidays. — Arluigton Advocate. 






Lb N '10 ^ 



